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Many Are Invited
A housewarming party ends in tragedy. . . Steve Galanos, a native Midwesterner, reflects on his time in and near Silicon Valley during the 1990s, a time when the two-digit year emerged as the Y2K problem, the burgeoning Internet fueled the expansion of the New Economy, the dot-com bubble created unseen prosperity and real estate frenzies. Yet it’s a housewarming party, held in late 1999, that affects him the most.
242 pages, Hardcover
Published October 6, 2022
6 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Cuesta
2 books88 followersDennis Cuesta is the author of Many Are Invited and Stuck in Manistique, his debut novel. A native of California, Dennis attended the University of Michigan and remained in the Upper Midwest during his early career.
Dennis now lives in San Jose, California with his wife and son.
Dennis now lives in San Jose, California with his wife and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 242 reviews
September 26, 2022
1.5
Steve Galanos and John Goertz met as colleagues during the dot-com bubble in the 1990s. With the threat of the Y2K bug looming large, John’s innovative proposal to develop a solution lands him a promotion. Steve’s initial dislike and resentment toward John grows into an uneasy friendship of sorts that continues after John leaves the company. Over the next few years, John meets Mary (and her friend/colleague/roommate Lauren who was initially the person Steve and John had shown interest in), begins a relationship and finally marries her. Though the foursome finds themselves socializing often, there is an underlying tension that complicates their lives. Under the veneer of friendship we see jealousy, lies, manipulation and constant one-upmanship.
Everything comes to a head during John and Mary’s housewarming party in 1999 when a shocking tragedy irrevocably changes their lives.
The entire narrative of Dennis Cuesta’s Many Are Invited is presented through Steve’s PoV as he recalls the events leading up to that fateful night of the housewarming party. Steve is insecure, consumed by his feelings of inadequacy, and jealous of John’s success, his life and his wife. He comes across as whiny and annoying and it's difficult to muster any sympathy for him. Mary and Lauren might be roommates but they don’t hesitate to out each other's secrets to anyone willing to listen. Needless to say, I immensely disliked most of the characters in this story. The build-up to the night of the party took a long time (after the 55% mark) after which the ending is rushed and feels abrupt.
I found the locker room talk, objectification of women and blatant sexism depicted in this book in extremely poor taste. Even if it was required to set the story (I understand sensibilities in the 1990s and the present day would differ) and portray the men in this story in a negative light , I feel the author went overboard. The pretentious conversations on politics and religion between the invitees of the party (inconsequential fillers that served no purpose but to fill the pages) were uncomfortable to read, to say the least. The only positive thing I can say about this book is that it was a quick read with short chapters. Clearly, I am not the right audience for this book.
This was a buddy read with SabiReads and I was glad for her company which made the read easier to get through!
Many thanks to Celestial Eyes Press and NetGalley for providing the digital review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. The book is due to be published on October 6, 2022.
Steve Galanos and John Goertz met as colleagues during the dot-com bubble in the 1990s. With the threat of the Y2K bug looming large, John’s innovative proposal to develop a solution lands him a promotion. Steve’s initial dislike and resentment toward John grows into an uneasy friendship of sorts that continues after John leaves the company. Over the next few years, John meets Mary (and her friend/colleague/roommate Lauren who was initially the person Steve and John had shown interest in), begins a relationship and finally marries her. Though the foursome finds themselves socializing often, there is an underlying tension that complicates their lives. Under the veneer of friendship we see jealousy, lies, manipulation and constant one-upmanship.
Everything comes to a head during John and Mary’s housewarming party in 1999 when a shocking tragedy irrevocably changes their lives.
The entire narrative of Dennis Cuesta’s Many Are Invited is presented through Steve’s PoV as he recalls the events leading up to that fateful night of the housewarming party. Steve is insecure, consumed by his feelings of inadequacy, and jealous of John’s success, his life and his wife. He comes across as whiny and annoying and it's difficult to muster any sympathy for him. Mary and Lauren might be roommates but they don’t hesitate to out each other's secrets to anyone willing to listen. Needless to say, I immensely disliked most of the characters in this story. The build-up to the night of the party took a long time (after the 55% mark) after which the ending is rushed and feels abrupt.
I found the locker room talk, objectification of women and blatant sexism depicted in this book in extremely poor taste. Even if it was required to set the story (I understand sensibilities in the 1990s and the present day would differ) and portray the men in this story in a negative light , I feel the author went overboard. The pretentious conversations on politics and religion between the invitees of the party (inconsequential fillers that served no purpose but to fill the pages) were uncomfortable to read, to say the least. The only positive thing I can say about this book is that it was a quick read with short chapters. Clearly, I am not the right audience for this book.
This was a buddy read with SabiReads and I was glad for her company which made the read easier to get through!
Many thanks to Celestial Eyes Press and NetGalley for providing the digital review copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. The book is due to be published on October 6, 2022.
January 2, 2023
I was excited about this book since I heard it was a retelling of the Great Gatsby, but set in the 1990’s. It was a disappointment for me. One of the main attractions about the Great Gatsby is the time period~the 1920’s with lots of Glamour, Style, Excitement. So, that’s a tall order to recreate a book that is such a classic for those reasons and place it in the 90’s.
Steve Galanos and John Goetz become good friends on the surface, but Steve harbors much jealousy about John and his success. It was a little interesting their friendship and dynamics at first and then learn about the Technology Industry, specifically focusing on Y2K. The way women were treated and talked about I found very difficult to read. I didn’t like Steve or relate to him much.
Steve Galanos and John Goetz become good friends on the surface, but Steve harbors much jealousy about John and his success. It was a little interesting their friendship and dynamics at first and then to learn about the Technology Industry, specifically focusing on Y2K. The way women were treated and talked about I found very difficult to read. I didn’t like the main character of relate to him.
By the ending, I just wanted to know and get this book finished. Obviously, party happening, know something is coming. I just was sort of done caring.
I don’t think I was the target audience for this book, definitely more geared towards men and probably 45+.
Thank you NetGalley, Dennis Cuesta, and Celestial Eyes Press for granting me a copy of this book. I am always happy to leave a review.
Steve Galanos and John Goetz become good friends on the surface, but Steve harbors much jealousy about John and his success. It was a little interesting their friendship and dynamics at first and then learn about the Technology Industry, specifically focusing on Y2K. The way women were treated and talked about I found very difficult to read. I didn’t like Steve or relate to him much.
Steve Galanos and John Goetz become good friends on the surface, but Steve harbors much jealousy about John and his success. It was a little interesting their friendship and dynamics at first and then to learn about the Technology Industry, specifically focusing on Y2K. The way women were treated and talked about I found very difficult to read. I didn’t like the main character of relate to him.
By the ending, I just wanted to know and get this book finished. Obviously, party happening, know something is coming. I just was sort of done caring.
I don’t think I was the target audience for this book, definitely more geared towards men and probably 45+.
Thank you NetGalley, Dennis Cuesta, and Celestial Eyes Press for granting me a copy of this book. I am always happy to leave a review.
November 8, 2022
I have to say this one with its team of horrible characters, sexism (ick), jealousy, and terminally bad writing is in line for my worst book of the year 2022!
October 16, 2022
I almost DNFed MANY ARE INVITED by Dennis Cuesta. I only finished because I wanted to know if the blurb was actually as misleading as it seemed....It is.
This book was sent to me by NetGalley. A book approved for everyone, they said, are you interested? The description of this one was personally interesting to me because of Y2K, which I remember clearly because of how stressed out everyone was! But Cuesta exploited that interest, because he never went beyond mentioning it.
The blurb claims this book is in part about the Y2K bug from the perspective of a couple programmers. I thought we would get a little jargon, maybe a couple of scenes of inaccessible code speak. Nope, none of it. This book is about Y2K the way my body is about my big toe--it barely touches it in a useful way.
The blurb also claims this book is about a house party. This party doesn't start until 60% of the way through the narrative though--before this, the plot is stuffed with various useless material. The narrator, Steve, and his work rival/buddy, John, sexually harangue and sometimes harass (since many of them are coworkers), every attractive woman they see (and they see many) for 100 pages.
And the politics! Every male speaking character in this book has something to say to the other male speaking characters (which compose most of this book's cast) about atheists, abortion, poverty, and others. And they all seem to agree with each other, so of course, this presents the reader no challenge or even anything interesting, like conflict.
The blurb's big lure is that someone gets injured at this house party. But the injury doesn't appear to have a thing to do with what happened before the party scenes. Oh wait! The narrator was collecting some evidence in the form of gossip remember, so this does all loosely add up...to some complete garbage about how hot women are sluts who get abortions and murder weak-willed family men. Funniest ending ever? Whatever, I like irony.
Rating 1/2 a star rounded up for all the poor female characters in this book
Finished November 2022
Recommended to fans of memoirs about women
Thank you NetGalley, Celestial Eyes Press, and Mr. Cuesta for letting me read an ARC of this book.
*Follow my Instagram book blog for all my reviews, challenges, and book lists! http://www.instagram.com/donasbooks *
This book was sent to me by NetGalley. A book approved for everyone, they said, are you interested? The description of this one was personally interesting to me because of Y2K, which I remember clearly because of how stressed out everyone was! But Cuesta exploited that interest, because he never went beyond mentioning it.
The blurb claims this book is in part about the Y2K bug from the perspective of a couple programmers. I thought we would get a little jargon, maybe a couple of scenes of inaccessible code speak. Nope, none of it. This book is about Y2K the way my body is about my big toe--it barely touches it in a useful way.
The blurb also claims this book is about a house party. This party doesn't start until 60% of the way through the narrative though--before this, the plot is stuffed with various useless material. The narrator, Steve, and his work rival/buddy, John, sexually harangue and sometimes harass (since many of them are coworkers), every attractive woman they see (and they see many) for 100 pages.
And the politics! Every male speaking character in this book has something to say to the other male speaking characters (which compose most of this book's cast) about atheists, abortion, poverty, and others. And they all seem to agree with each other, so of course, this presents the reader no challenge or even anything interesting, like conflict.
The blurb's big lure is that someone gets injured at this house party. But the injury doesn't appear to have a thing to do with what happened before the party scenes. Oh wait! The narrator was collecting some evidence in the form of gossip remember, so this does all loosely add up...to some complete garbage about how hot women are sluts who get abortions and murder weak-willed family men. Funniest ending ever? Whatever, I like irony.
Rating 1/2 a star rounded up for all the poor female characters in this book
Finished November 2022
Recommended to fans of memoirs about women
Thank you NetGalley, Celestial Eyes Press, and Mr. Cuesta for letting me read an ARC of this book.
*Follow my Instagram book blog for all my reviews, challenges, and book lists! http://www.instagram.com/donasbooks *
November 9, 2022
This book had an extreme build up to the climax. The parallels to "The Great Gatsby" are definitely there, but the biggest difference being the narrator. Steve Galanos was most definitely no Nick Carraway. Steve's narration was not honest, tolerant, or reserving judgment of John , Mary, or Lauren. So much so that he felt the need to step in and become probably the biggest antagonist of their story.
October 4, 2022
Many Are Invited by Dennis Cuesta is an interesting tell all tale from an author with a talent for conversation and narration. Steve Galanos knows John and Mary's secrets and can't wait to share them at a housewarming party for his former best friend, John. The house party is an implosion of secrets and drama - but I really like the way that Cuesta writes. Told in terms of a flashback, Steve's internal conversations are definitely worth reading!
Thank you to NetGalley, Celestial Eyes Press and author Dennis Cuesta for this digital review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley, Celestial Eyes Press and author Dennis Cuesta for this digital review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
August 25, 2022
I binged this book in a few short hours. You meet Steve a 35 year old man who lives a relatively simple life. He and his best friend John have a competitive relationship as Steve always feels outclassed. Once John meets Mary his life gets even better. They quickly become engaged and he finds himself on an uphill after cashing in stocks to make a few million dollars. He has his dream house, a great job and the girl. But Mary best friend has a similar relationship with her. She is jealous of what Mary has. One housewarming party later and tragedy strikes leaving everyone involved lives changed.
I read enjoyed this book however it seems to just end. I didn't feel there was a conclusion. It's not a cliffhanger ending it just stops. So hopefully by the time it's published that will change.
I read enjoyed this book however it seems to just end. I didn't feel there was a conclusion. It's not a cliffhanger ending it just stops. So hopefully by the time it's published that will change.
October 11, 2022
I’m not sure how I feel about this one. A housewarming party in 1999 takes an unexpected, tragic turn. I thought it dragged a bunch especially while talking about Y2K.
Steve and John have been frenemies since they met at work. John’s proposal lands him a promotion and Steve grows resentful. Eventually John leaves the company and meets and marries Mary. Steve developed a relationship with Mary roommate Lauren and the couples hang out frequently.
There’s definite tension and resentment within the group and all of the secrets and lies come out during John and Mary’s housewarming party.
Many Are Invited is available now.
Thank you to netgalley and celestialeyespress for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Steve and John have been frenemies since they met at work. John’s proposal lands him a promotion and Steve grows resentful. Eventually John leaves the company and meets and marries Mary. Steve developed a relationship with Mary roommate Lauren and the couples hang out frequently.
There’s definite tension and resentment within the group and all of the secrets and lies come out during John and Mary’s housewarming party.
Many Are Invited is available now.
Thank you to netgalley and celestialeyespress for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
November 29, 2022
2 stars, rounded down from 2.5
This will not be a positive review. The main thing I can say about this book is it’s short. The characters are unappealing and the story isn’t particularly interesting, although it was entertaining to remember how freaked out everyone was in the late 1990s about the Y2K problem (widely anticipated computer programming issue, for those who don’t know or don’t remember, related to the year turning from 1999 to 2000).
Right from the start, you find out that something awful happened at a housewarming party in late 1999. The rest of the story is told as a flashback, from one man’s POV, Steve. Themes covered include professional and personal jealousy. Widespread sexism abounds, with the men in the story referring to women they think are attractive as “Swede 5” or “Swede 7”, as if all attractive women are Swedish. Ugh. And there was a whole section of chitchat about politics and religion at the housewarming party that didn’t seem to serve any purpose in advancing the plot, and so could easily have been edited out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This will not be a positive review. The main thing I can say about this book is it’s short. The characters are unappealing and the story isn’t particularly interesting, although it was entertaining to remember how freaked out everyone was in the late 1990s about the Y2K problem (widely anticipated computer programming issue, for those who don’t know or don’t remember, related to the year turning from 1999 to 2000).
Right from the start, you find out that something awful happened at a housewarming party in late 1999. The rest of the story is told as a flashback, from one man’s POV, Steve. Themes covered include professional and personal jealousy. Widespread sexism abounds, with the men in the story referring to women they think are attractive as “Swede 5” or “Swede 7”, as if all attractive women are Swedish. Ugh. And there was a whole section of chitchat about politics and religion at the housewarming party that didn’t seem to serve any purpose in advancing the plot, and so could easily have been edited out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
September 1, 2022
Set in the 1990s, with the Y2K problem looming and .com and tech companies booming, a group of friends, definitely not ones that I would want, demonstrate just how destructive and deadly competition and the green eyed monster of jealousy can be.
The pace of this story moved quickly and I was able to read it in one day. If the characters were meant to be unlikeable, then that goal was achieved. However, though I thought that the plot was interesting, the pieces of the puzzle did not come together smoothly or cohesively and the narrative seemed to flounder at times and could have used some structural editing. Overall, this was just an OK read for me.
The pace of this story moved quickly and I was able to read it in one day. If the characters were meant to be unlikeable, then that goal was achieved. However, though I thought that the plot was interesting, the pieces of the puzzle did not come together smoothly or cohesively and the narrative seemed to flounder at times and could have used some structural editing. Overall, this was just an OK read for me.
September 13, 2022
This is a quick read and without spoilers, it’s about friendship and jealousy. The story centers around a house warming party where you learn early on something tragic occurred. The setting for the story is in the 90’s and was a reminder of all the dot com talk and Y2K theories that were discussed back then.
I’ve seen mixed reviews on the ending, but I loved it. I do love a good OMG Hitchcockish ending. Great story!
Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of Many are Invited. This is my unbiased review.
I’ve seen mixed reviews on the ending, but I loved it. I do love a good OMG Hitchcockish ending. Great story!
Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy of Many are Invited. This is my unbiased review.
September 7, 2022
Many Are Invited
⭐️⭐️
Genre: Fiction
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 10/6/22
Author: Dennis Cuesta
Publisher: Celestial Eyes Press
Pages: 242
Goodreads Rating: 3.29
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: A housewarming party ends in tragedy. . . Steve Galanos, a native Midwesterner, reflects on his time in and near Silicon Valley during the 1990s, a time when the two-digit year emerged as the Y2K problem, the burgeoning Internet fueled the expansion of the New Economy, the dot-com bubble created unseen prosperity and real estate frenzies. Yet it’s a housewarming party, held in late 1999, that affects him the most.
My Thoughts: The chapters were short in this book, which I tend to gravitate towards. It is just easier to stop at the end of a chapter. The tragic event occurs very late in the storyline, the first is filled with the Y2K bug (I definitely remember the country during that time), politics, and religion. Not that those are bad topics, just topics that I generally would not read. I believe the backstories of the characters could have been filled in less space and more expansion on the tragic event and the aftermath. The tragic event should open up the story and then work backwards from there, then the Y2K bug, politics, and religion would not have seemed out of place. The ending of the book just stops, not a cliffhanger, and not a resolution. It’s not a bad read, just not what I expected or hoped it would be. That could be on me as I may have misinterpreted the synopsis.
⭐️⭐️
Genre: Fiction
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 10/6/22
Author: Dennis Cuesta
Publisher: Celestial Eyes Press
Pages: 242
Goodreads Rating: 3.29
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: A housewarming party ends in tragedy. . . Steve Galanos, a native Midwesterner, reflects on his time in and near Silicon Valley during the 1990s, a time when the two-digit year emerged as the Y2K problem, the burgeoning Internet fueled the expansion of the New Economy, the dot-com bubble created unseen prosperity and real estate frenzies. Yet it’s a housewarming party, held in late 1999, that affects him the most.
My Thoughts: The chapters were short in this book, which I tend to gravitate towards. It is just easier to stop at the end of a chapter. The tragic event occurs very late in the storyline, the first is filled with the Y2K bug (I definitely remember the country during that time), politics, and religion. Not that those are bad topics, just topics that I generally would not read. I believe the backstories of the characters could have been filled in less space and more expansion on the tragic event and the aftermath. The tragic event should open up the story and then work backwards from there, then the Y2K bug, politics, and religion would not have seemed out of place. The ending of the book just stops, not a cliffhanger, and not a resolution. It’s not a bad read, just not what I expected or hoped it would be. That could be on me as I may have misinterpreted the synopsis.
August 30, 2022
This was a very quick read, which for me was the best thing about it. It’s always the characters who make any story matter to me. That said, two young men meet at work and become close friends. They meet two young women who are roommates and then they all become friends. But they all keep secrets from each other. Unfortunately, I didn’t care much for any of the characters. I couldn’t relate to them. The story was somewhat slow, and I kept waiting for something to happen. I didn’t care about the bars they visited or parties they went to or what clothes they were wearing. Something awful does happen, but it was too late in the story for me. And then I had a hard time understanding what really happened and was left wondering about a couple of things. I’m sure a lot of people will enjoy this story and like the characters. I hope so. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. I would like to thank Celestial Eyes Press, Dennis Cuesta and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC free for an honest review.
September 28, 2022
1.5 stars
Many Are Invited centers on the night of a party on December 18, 1999 when tragedy strikes. A possible attempt at a retelling of The Great Gatsby, Cuesta has set the stage pivoting and playing around the Y2K problem and his two main characters, Steve (the narrator) and John, his former co-worker and pseudo-friend, meet when John has initiated the Y2K compliance team for the phone company where they work at the beginning of the story.
Bookended with narration from Steve at some point in the not-too-distant future, the length of the novel is spent with Steve recalling all the events leading up to the night of John's housewarming party.
Cuesta clearly has an understanding of his characters and their relation to the Gatsby counterparts is an interesting, modern take...but any depth to the people populating the story didn't make it to the page. The words were ripe with strange, stilted bantering and surface-level, inherent sexism. While the sexism was not abhorrently gross, the sheer quantity of casual sexist statements was repellent, especially when it clearly wasn’t supposed to be a negative aspect for a dislikable character. Given that I have almost no idea what Steve or John look like, I can tell you the way Cuesta chose for Steve to describe, analyze, and ogle nearly every female character was preposterous. Most of the dialogue scenes were disjointed and incredibly bland—like following an actual random group of two couples around while they talked and talked about their extraordinarily regular lives. There is no fun or purpose in that kind of eavesdropping.
The unfolding of the story itself felt contrived and amateurish—with Y2K being displayed front and center but with no clear purpose beyond (potentially) one line at the end. The disconnected segments that made up the story as a whole, felt both random and meaningless. This felt much more like a first draft, leaning outline rather than a complete, edited, and polished story. There's a kernel of an idea here, but the execution needs several more revisits.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
Many Are Invited centers on the night of a party on December 18, 1999 when tragedy strikes. A possible attempt at a retelling of The Great Gatsby, Cuesta has set the stage pivoting and playing around the Y2K problem and his two main characters, Steve (the narrator) and John, his former co-worker and pseudo-friend, meet when John has initiated the Y2K compliance team for the phone company where they work at the beginning of the story.
Bookended with narration from Steve at some point in the not-too-distant future, the length of the novel is spent with Steve recalling all the events leading up to the night of John's housewarming party.
Cuesta clearly has an understanding of his characters and their relation to the Gatsby counterparts is an interesting, modern take...but any depth to the people populating the story didn't make it to the page. The words were ripe with strange, stilted bantering and surface-level, inherent sexism. While the sexism was not abhorrently gross, the sheer quantity of casual sexist statements was repellent, especially when it clearly wasn’t supposed to be a negative aspect for a dislikable character. Given that I have almost no idea what Steve or John look like, I can tell you the way Cuesta chose for Steve to describe, analyze, and ogle nearly every female character was preposterous. Most of the dialogue scenes were disjointed and incredibly bland—like following an actual random group of two couples around while they talked and talked about their extraordinarily regular lives. There is no fun or purpose in that kind of eavesdropping.
The unfolding of the story itself felt contrived and amateurish—with Y2K being displayed front and center but with no clear purpose beyond (potentially) one line at the end. The disconnected segments that made up the story as a whole, felt both random and meaningless. This felt much more like a first draft, leaning outline rather than a complete, edited, and polished story. There's a kernel of an idea here, but the execution needs several more revisits.
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This affected neither my opinion of the book nor the content of my review.
October 11, 2022
"Many Are Invited" by Dennis Cuesta is one of those novels that is more art than entertainment. Though I enjoyed reading it, and loved the parallels to my favorite classic, "The Great Gatsby," it's a very character driven book and not much happens until the end. All of the characters are simply awful people. This is a short, though smart, read and I finished it in just one afternoon.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 31, 2022
There were so many great reviews, and the premise sounded really good. But.. I struggled a little with this one.
I didn't get the understand the significance of Y2K,
I didn't really like any of the characters and didn't get the friendship.
The lead-up to the ultimate scene was loooong, the ultimate scene was loooong, and the resolution was boom, done.
I read a review that said this was a retelling of the Great Gatsby. I wish I had read that before I requested this book because I hated the Great Gatsby...lol
I did finish this, so i will give it at least 3 stars - for average. But would I read it again? Nope.. not for me.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I didn't get the understand the significance of Y2K,
I didn't really like any of the characters and didn't get the friendship.
The lead-up to the ultimate scene was loooong, the ultimate scene was loooong, and the resolution was boom, done.
I read a review that said this was a retelling of the Great Gatsby. I wish I had read that before I requested this book because I hated the Great Gatsby...lol
I did finish this, so i will give it at least 3 stars - for average. But would I read it again? Nope.. not for me.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 19, 2022
The book had an interesting premise but too many other plot lines and uninteresting characters. This was a quick one day read and it was a mystery about something bad happening at a housewarming party and connected to the Y2K scare of 1999 .The main character and narrator was Steve, a man in his early thirties who works for "the phone company" and the novel is his story about his life between 1994 when he meets the other character John who was hired to manage Y2K for the phone company. Steve is supposed to be on John's team and they get along mostly because they talk like they are in the 1950's and only discuss women based on how attractive they are. The men rate all blond haired women by giving them names like Swede 1, Swede 2, etc and there is a lot of fat shaming and general sexism.
It takes a long time to get to the housewarming party and in the meantime we get monologues from the main character about politics, abortion, religion, democracy, the price of houses and other subjects which didn't relate to the ending of the book. There are also too many scenes of Steve, John, Mary (Steve's wife and Lauren her friend) going to bars and extensive discussions on whether it was a bar restaurant or just a bar as well as descriptions of every patron and what the patrons are discussing. Steve comes to feel like he should be married to Mary who is a virgin and resents John for his marriage and for getting away from the phone company and ending up at a start up where he makes a lot of money. At times Steve also seems interested in Lauren, who is always whining and is upset that Mary wants to work after marriage (again with the 1950's stuff).
We finally arrive at the housewarming, with nothing really related to the Y2K stuff and the party is drawn out with more discussions on abortion and religion before a prank results in a death. I really didn't like this book and it seemed rambling and unfocused. None of the characters were likable and the whole setting just seemed out of place to the `1990's. For a short book there was too much time spent on details about people's cocktails and the various body parts of every woman who walked by and not enough character development. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for a review.
It takes a long time to get to the housewarming party and in the meantime we get monologues from the main character about politics, abortion, religion, democracy, the price of houses and other subjects which didn't relate to the ending of the book. There are also too many scenes of Steve, John, Mary (Steve's wife and Lauren her friend) going to bars and extensive discussions on whether it was a bar restaurant or just a bar as well as descriptions of every patron and what the patrons are discussing. Steve comes to feel like he should be married to Mary who is a virgin and resents John for his marriage and for getting away from the phone company and ending up at a start up where he makes a lot of money. At times Steve also seems interested in Lauren, who is always whining and is upset that Mary wants to work after marriage (again with the 1950's stuff).
We finally arrive at the housewarming, with nothing really related to the Y2K stuff and the party is drawn out with more discussions on abortion and religion before a prank results in a death. I really didn't like this book and it seemed rambling and unfocused. None of the characters were likable and the whole setting just seemed out of place to the `1990's. For a short book there was too much time spent on details about people's cocktails and the various body parts of every woman who walked by and not enough character development. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for a review.
November 5, 2022
Thank you NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press for accepting my request to read and review Many are Invited.
Author: Dennis Cuesta
Published: 10/06/22
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) -- Literary Fiction
This reads more like a long magazine story than a book. In the late 1990s computers are beginning to be household staples. Vehicles are coming equipped with onboard computers. Then the realization sets in that with the dependency so high on computers, the date of January 1, 2000 could shutdown the world. Scientists and geeks work tirelessly fearful of what may happen. The general population ignored and mocked the fears. It wasn't until the problem became known as Y2K bug that people began to pay attention.
This story starts with the potential problems and forming committees to understand Y2K. From there the working relationships enter into personal spaces, and friends become lovers, friends become enemies, and the soap opera-like tales begin. The story ends with its own Y2K twist.
This was just okay for me. There was too much soap opera and not enough meat. If you are looking for a quick read, this may be for you.
There is profanity.
Author: Dennis Cuesta
Published: 10/06/22
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) -- Literary Fiction
This reads more like a long magazine story than a book. In the late 1990s computers are beginning to be household staples. Vehicles are coming equipped with onboard computers. Then the realization sets in that with the dependency so high on computers, the date of January 1, 2000 could shutdown the world. Scientists and geeks work tirelessly fearful of what may happen. The general population ignored and mocked the fears. It wasn't until the problem became known as Y2K bug that people began to pay attention.
This story starts with the potential problems and forming committees to understand Y2K. From there the working relationships enter into personal spaces, and friends become lovers, friends become enemies, and the soap opera-like tales begin. The story ends with its own Y2K twist.
This was just okay for me. There was too much soap opera and not enough meat. If you are looking for a quick read, this may be for you.
There is profanity.
September 1, 2022
I didn't know what to expect from this book and I'm glad I didn't get my hopes up. It's the late nineties and our narrator, Steve, is in his mid-thirties and working for a phone company right when the Y2K hysteria begins. It's brought to the company's attention by a co-worker named John who Steve immediately dislikes for no apparent reason other than that he made everyone come to a meeting. But they soon become friends and we see them at different points in their lives leading up to 1999.
John leaves the company and becomes wealthy, meeting his future wife, Mary, and living a great life. Steve stays in the same job and dates around but that's about it. The story culminates in a housewarming party where tragedy strikes. Although it doesn't feel tragic at all, you're just happy the party is finally happening because it's the last 10% of the book and you've been waiting so long for the conclusion. Because believe me when I say this isn't a thoroughly plotted tale, it's Steve talking to people now and then in overlong dialogues that add nothing to the plot. He's a completely unlikable character who ogles women all the time and is envious of everything John has. When he gets dates with coworkers or other women, he drops them after a while because he just seems bored with them or they are just not hot and interesting enough.
The worst part is that this book is just plain badly written. I don't even have the words or technical knowledge to accurately describe why it's bad. It's what I imagine the first draft of a random story by a non-author would read like. There are long passages that just abruptly end. There are characters introduced who end up never being mentioned again and who added nothing by being described in the first place. The wording is often awkward like it's someone talking to you, but then it switches to sound like someone talking to themself. The character development is nonexistent - the women are terrible, and the more attractive they are, the worse their personalities are. But that's ok because she's hot! It feels like this story was written by a teenage boy at times.
That's about the best I can do in describing why this story fails on so many levels. I don't know how it's getting published but I can't wait to see what everyone else has to say.
John leaves the company and becomes wealthy, meeting his future wife, Mary, and living a great life. Steve stays in the same job and dates around but that's about it. The story culminates in a housewarming party where tragedy strikes. Although it doesn't feel tragic at all, you're just happy the party is finally happening because it's the last 10% of the book and you've been waiting so long for the conclusion. Because believe me when I say this isn't a thoroughly plotted tale, it's Steve talking to people now and then in overlong dialogues that add nothing to the plot. He's a completely unlikable character who ogles women all the time and is envious of everything John has. When he gets dates with coworkers or other women, he drops them after a while because he just seems bored with them or they are just not hot and interesting enough.
The worst part is that this book is just plain badly written. I don't even have the words or technical knowledge to accurately describe why it's bad. It's what I imagine the first draft of a random story by a non-author would read like. There are long passages that just abruptly end. There are characters introduced who end up never being mentioned again and who added nothing by being described in the first place. The wording is often awkward like it's someone talking to you, but then it switches to sound like someone talking to themself. The character development is nonexistent - the women are terrible, and the more attractive they are, the worse their personalities are. But that's ok because she's hot! It feels like this story was written by a teenage boy at times.
That's about the best I can do in describing why this story fails on so many levels. I don't know how it's getting published but I can't wait to see what everyone else has to say.
October 29, 2022
Special thanks to Celestial Press and Netgalley for the ARC of this book.
Gosh I'm having a bad streak. Probably my fault for picking a book about technology. I hardly knew the jargon and had to skip some parts because I'm 50 not 20, and was lost in a technological K-hole.
This book is about one man's narration of a party that he went to in December 1999, with Y2k looming ahead and the world changing on 1/1/2000, that never came to be.
I did like the writing style but the chapters were short and Steve, the narrator being envious of his old partner's success. I couldn't relate at all, to the characters or the plot.
Gosh I'm having a bad streak. Probably my fault for picking a book about technology. I hardly knew the jargon and had to skip some parts because I'm 50 not 20, and was lost in a technological K-hole.
This book is about one man's narration of a party that he went to in December 1999, with Y2k looming ahead and the world changing on 1/1/2000, that never came to be.
I did like the writing style but the chapters were short and Steve, the narrator being envious of his old partner's success. I couldn't relate at all, to the characters or the plot.
December 28, 2022
"I didn't know any other "best friends" who affectionately despised each other."
The Y2K scare. I vaguely remember a build up and some freaking out but I don't remember a lot of the specifics. And this book didn't remind me of any of them.
The synopsis says this is about a housewarming party and the Y2K scare. It's not really. It's a weird look into friendships and how toxic they can be. Our MC is Steve and he's pretty sure he's owed a lot in life. When we first meet Steve, John is new to the company and isn't following all the drawn out unwritten rules that Steve has been playing by. Steve believes that's unfair but instead of getting punished, John gets promoted for his forward thinking. John reaches out to Steve for company advice and Steve has resented him ever since.
And being with Steve's POV is unpleasant. He's constantly sizing women up, letting us know if they are attractive enough or not. He doesn't even get to know blond's names, not really, just calls them all "swedes" and puts a number after their name. And his weird hate/hate friendship with John has him constantly having lunch or hanging out with John just to learn if he's dating anyone or other success, just to compare their lives. He even throws himself at EVERY girl he thinks John might have an interest in (mainly co-workers) and then instantly dropping them and running after the next girl John mentions.
But John continues to find success. He even changes jobs and becomes wealthy while Steve stays in his deadend job and mopes. Somehow John stumbles on a sweet girl, Mary, who adores him and Steve can't help but want her. Mary somehow has a similar toxic and competitive friendship with her best friend Lauren, aka Swede 11 (or 7 - I don't even remember her number anymore). And we get blow by blow of all their competitive weirdness between all 4 of them until the twist at the end.
If toxic friendships are your thing, this may work for you, but don't pick this one up thinking you're getting a quirky story about the Y2K scare - otherwise you'll be disappointed like I was!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
The Y2K scare. I vaguely remember a build up and some freaking out but I don't remember a lot of the specifics. And this book didn't remind me of any of them.
The synopsis says this is about a housewarming party and the Y2K scare. It's not really. It's a weird look into friendships and how toxic they can be. Our MC is Steve and he's pretty sure he's owed a lot in life. When we first meet Steve, John is new to the company and isn't following all the drawn out unwritten rules that Steve has been playing by. Steve believes that's unfair but instead of getting punished, John gets promoted for his forward thinking. John reaches out to Steve for company advice and Steve has resented him ever since.
And being with Steve's POV is unpleasant. He's constantly sizing women up, letting us know if they are attractive enough or not. He doesn't even get to know blond's names, not really, just calls them all "swedes" and puts a number after their name. And his weird hate/hate friendship with John has him constantly having lunch or hanging out with John just to learn if he's dating anyone or other success, just to compare their lives. He even throws himself at EVERY girl he thinks John might have an interest in (mainly co-workers) and then instantly dropping them and running after the next girl John mentions.
But John continues to find success. He even changes jobs and becomes wealthy while Steve stays in his deadend job and mopes. Somehow John stumbles on a sweet girl, Mary, who adores him and Steve can't help but want her. Mary somehow has a similar toxic and competitive friendship with her best friend Lauren, aka Swede 11 (or 7 - I don't even remember her number anymore). And we get blow by blow of all their competitive weirdness between all 4 of them until the twist at the end.
If toxic friendships are your thing, this may work for you, but don't pick this one up thinking you're getting a quirky story about the Y2K scare - otherwise you'll be disappointed like I was!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
October 5, 2022
As the book opens, something tragic had occurred at a housewarming party (the reader doesn’t know what yet) and the story backtracks to reveal the events leading to it. It is 1999 and Steve and John work to resolve issues related to the Y2K “bug”. Personal and professional jealousies are a recipe for disaster.
This is a very fast read, but it just didn’t resonate with me. It was interesting learning about startups, dot com billionaires, and all the furor about Y2K. But the personal stories didn’t particularly appeal.
I didn’t find anything appealing about any of the characters and I wasn’t sure what the point was.
Thanks to @netgalley and #celestialeyespress for the ARC.
This is a very fast read, but it just didn’t resonate with me. It was interesting learning about startups, dot com billionaires, and all the furor about Y2K. But the personal stories didn’t particularly appeal.
I didn’t find anything appealing about any of the characters and I wasn’t sure what the point was.
Thanks to @netgalley and #celestialeyespress for the ARC.
August 28, 2022
Do you remember the anxiety in the late ‘90’s as the years moved closer to the Year 2000? Would the Millennium bug or more popularly known at the time the Y2K bug (for the Year 2000) create the risks computer programmers began talking about? Could the bug be fixed in time?
It’s 1994. John Goertz and Steve Galanos work at a phone company with John as the lead of the Year 2000 Conversion Team and Steve as delivery manager, a direct report to John. Almost despite himself, Steve becomes friends with John but it’s hard not to envy John as his life seems to move forward with all the right moves. But it’s time to put envy aside and celebrate another milestone in John’s life. Newlyweds John and his bride are hosting a housewarming party in mid-December 1999. It’s party time – a new home, the holiday season, and it’s almost 2000. So what could go wrong?
I finished the last page and surprised myself as I had exclaimed out loud, “WoW!” Whether you were listening to the news or in meetings at work conversations were filled with the repetitious drone (to many of us!) of the Y2K bug. It was interesting to read this novel and remember that time.
The author created realistic colleagues to friends, socializing after work and/or on weekends with dialogue touching on a variety of topics including religion and politics. It was an easy read to immerse oneself in earlier years. For me, it was more drama than suspense or thriller although the psychological component is present. After this introduction to the author’s writing, I wouldn’t hesitate to read more.
My sincere thanks to Dennis Cuesta, and Celestial Eyes Press for my complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
#ManyAreInvited #NetGalley
It’s 1994. John Goertz and Steve Galanos work at a phone company with John as the lead of the Year 2000 Conversion Team and Steve as delivery manager, a direct report to John. Almost despite himself, Steve becomes friends with John but it’s hard not to envy John as his life seems to move forward with all the right moves. But it’s time to put envy aside and celebrate another milestone in John’s life. Newlyweds John and his bride are hosting a housewarming party in mid-December 1999. It’s party time – a new home, the holiday season, and it’s almost 2000. So what could go wrong?
I finished the last page and surprised myself as I had exclaimed out loud, “WoW!” Whether you were listening to the news or in meetings at work conversations were filled with the repetitious drone (to many of us!) of the Y2K bug. It was interesting to read this novel and remember that time.
The author created realistic colleagues to friends, socializing after work and/or on weekends with dialogue touching on a variety of topics including religion and politics. It was an easy read to immerse oneself in earlier years. For me, it was more drama than suspense or thriller although the psychological component is present. After this introduction to the author’s writing, I wouldn’t hesitate to read more.
My sincere thanks to Dennis Cuesta, and Celestial Eyes Press for my complimentary digital copy of this title, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
#ManyAreInvited #NetGalley
November 8, 2022
I work in IT and the IT/Y2k story line at the start of this book had me running down memory lane! I couldn't read the beginning of this book fast enough, as it felt like I was reliving my work past and I loved it! After that I felt like I was reading a book version of The Office Space movie, with a character that was completely unhappy with his job and always wanting more but not really doing anything about it. There was a lot of drama between friends that don't even like each other that I had a very hard time relating to. I had to skim a lot of the date and party scenes of the book in order to make it through and find out what happened.
Thank you NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 12, 2022
Sometimes you start reading a book and you get your hopes up. From the description it sounded interesting and so you are all set to enjoy the read. Slowly but surely the more you read the more you realize you just are not enjoying the book.
I wish I could say there were things I liked about the characters or the storyline but I have to be honest. I didn’t like the characters, in fact, I disliked all the characters mainly because I didn't understand any of their actions which could have been explained, possibly, with a little more character deveopment. The storyline was strange and at times really hard to understand why the people did what they did, especially the narrator who, well I really thought he was a d**k for no reason that I could begin to understand.
From the reviews it seems people really enjoyed this book but I did not. I guess this book just wasn’t for me.
I wish I could say there were things I liked about the characters or the storyline but I have to be honest. I didn’t like the characters, in fact, I disliked all the characters mainly because I didn't understand any of their actions which could have been explained, possibly, with a little more character deveopment. The storyline was strange and at times really hard to understand why the people did what they did, especially the narrator who, well I really thought he was a d**k for no reason that I could begin to understand.
From the reviews it seems people really enjoyed this book but I did not. I guess this book just wasn’t for me.
April 13, 2023
This was an interesting read. The walk back to the 1990’s was accurate and memory invoking but wow that period of time was not aged well. The novel while accurate had some cringe-worthy spots. The book is about friendship and that part of the story I enjoyed. If you were an adult in the 90’s you may enjoy the walk down memory Lane. For those who did not live it, you may enjoy reading how far we have come. Thank you NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 26, 2022
Not a book I would of picked for myself. But, NetGalley let me read it for free for a review. The book was a quick read and flowed very nicely. The chapters were short and sweet. Could definitely tell that it was written from a males point of view and seemed sexist at times. I liked the plot being set around the whole Y2K fiasco. I think there could have been more to the ending.
September 26, 2022
I remember the whole Y2K movement back in 1999. OMG! Most everyone was worried about our electronics and what would happen when 2000 would come in. Funny thing though, I never worried because I thought it was silly. The human cry was that our computers and anything electronic would start from the beginning instead of knowing to turn to 2000. The end of time was coming! What would we do when 2000 rolled in? Some Americans built shelters and was storing up on food and water. Wow! Just thinking about it again really makes me chuckle, because as you can see, life continued. Time didn’t stop and our computers survived the year change. Our character, Steve Galanos, found himself working at a company in 1999 worrying about Y2K. He was on the team with the special IT group designed and charged with making sure everyone’s electronics would function correctly when 00 arrived.
However, Steve, was over the whole conversation, much like me at that time, and he was concerned but not overly so. His boss and friend, John, headed up the Y2K team and they struck up a fast friendship. They were constantly flirting in the office. Penning women “Swedes” and giving them numbers based on how they looked and how they were built. On one of their many dares, Steve dared John to go into this store where he saw a hottie that he figured John would not be able to pull. Well, John proved Steve wrong, so much so, he not only did not pull the babe he asked him to score, but he ended up asking the hottie’s coworker out. She wasn’t as beautiful, but she was cute. John discovered that the woman he ended up with was named Mary and her coworker who was the hot babe was named Lauren. What do you know, the two of them were roommates meaning Steve could join in the fun and they could double date.
Things began to heat up quickly for John and Mary leaving Steve and Lauren to fend for themselves. When the friends went out, Mary let them know that she and John were engaged, and that, readers is where this story begins to unfold. This story works up quickly because it’s a short read, but I found the story to be misleading.
I was of the impression this story was really going to center around Y2K and have our main characters navigating through it, but it turns out this story really didn’t have much to do with Y2K, or not entirely. There are things I’d like to say, but it would cause spoilers and I do not do spoilers. I also noticed a discrepancy that wasn’t intended to be, I think, but I went back to check the story because it was bothering me. Again, I can’t get into it because it would spoil the story for some, however, I’ll say this. When you read the first chapter, especially the last paragraph of that chapter, it really stuck in my mind. So, when I got to the end of the story. I began scratching my head because I was waiting on something to happen, but I think the author may have forgotten what he discussed in the first chapter. Or, what happened at the end was a metaphor for what he was discussing in the first chapter and that was the entire point? In other words, readers, you need to read the book to fully understand what I’m getting at.
Overall, I wasn’t feeling this story. I found it dragging a lot and quite boring. I dozed off a few times and was shocked I wasn’t still reading. The biggest hurdle to get over was the chapters dealing with the homecoming party that seemed to go on forever and I lost interest in all the different partygoers’ conversations. It was too many people to keep up with and I really wasn’t invested.
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Thanks!
However, Steve, was over the whole conversation, much like me at that time, and he was concerned but not overly so. His boss and friend, John, headed up the Y2K team and they struck up a fast friendship. They were constantly flirting in the office. Penning women “Swedes” and giving them numbers based on how they looked and how they were built. On one of their many dares, Steve dared John to go into this store where he saw a hottie that he figured John would not be able to pull. Well, John proved Steve wrong, so much so, he not only did not pull the babe he asked him to score, but he ended up asking the hottie’s coworker out. She wasn’t as beautiful, but she was cute. John discovered that the woman he ended up with was named Mary and her coworker who was the hot babe was named Lauren. What do you know, the two of them were roommates meaning Steve could join in the fun and they could double date.
Things began to heat up quickly for John and Mary leaving Steve and Lauren to fend for themselves. When the friends went out, Mary let them know that she and John were engaged, and that, readers is where this story begins to unfold. This story works up quickly because it’s a short read, but I found the story to be misleading.
I was of the impression this story was really going to center around Y2K and have our main characters navigating through it, but it turns out this story really didn’t have much to do with Y2K, or not entirely. There are things I’d like to say, but it would cause spoilers and I do not do spoilers. I also noticed a discrepancy that wasn’t intended to be, I think, but I went back to check the story because it was bothering me. Again, I can’t get into it because it would spoil the story for some, however, I’ll say this. When you read the first chapter, especially the last paragraph of that chapter, it really stuck in my mind. So, when I got to the end of the story. I began scratching my head because I was waiting on something to happen, but I think the author may have forgotten what he discussed in the first chapter. Or, what happened at the end was a metaphor for what he was discussing in the first chapter and that was the entire point? In other words, readers, you need to read the book to fully understand what I’m getting at.
Overall, I wasn’t feeling this story. I found it dragging a lot and quite boring. I dozed off a few times and was shocked I wasn’t still reading. The biggest hurdle to get over was the chapters dealing with the homecoming party that seemed to go on forever and I lost interest in all the different partygoers’ conversations. It was too many people to keep up with and I really wasn’t invested.
To read original post, please go to https://www.thesexynerdrevue.com/2022...
Thanks!
September 13, 2022
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press for the Advanced Readers Copy of Many Are Invited by Dennis Cuesta. The synopsis and the cover of the book had me intrigued, so I was ecstatic to be selected to read and review this book ahead of its expected publication of October 6, 2022.
The storyline for Many Are Invited is exactly what I thought it would be based on the synopsis. The first few pages didn't immediately suck me in, but once I got a few chapters into the book, the tale really became interesting. I couldn't read fast enough to see what would happen. I had completely forgotten about Y2K and how many people panicked about it, so there was some nostalgia in reading about that event.
Like most books, there were some characters that were likable and some that weren't. The character development was great for the most part, and I enjoyed the internal dialogue of the main character, Steve. I felt like Steve's perceptions of the early to mid twenties crowd compared to his perception of people in their mid-thirties was spot on. These two age groups are in such different places in their lives. I felt like Dennis Cuesta did a great job of characterizing how John and Steve talked in private about women. I've overheard men in passing that discussed women in that same way . . . not to say that all men are like that though.
The length of Many Are Invited was perfect . . . not too long and not too short. It left me wanting more! I loved the references to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and some of the similarities between the two stories. If you've read both of these books, I think you'll see what I mean, and I don't want to give anything away. The ending of the novel was bittersweet, which is the only thing I didn't care for, but it was concluded in away that didn't leave me hanging.
All in all, I absolutely loved Many Are Invited by Dennis Cuesta and gave it four out of five stars. I can't wait to read the other book Dennis Cuesta has written and hope he writes many more novels. This is a book I will definitely be recommending to the book club I belong to.
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The storyline for Many Are Invited is exactly what I thought it would be based on the synopsis. The first few pages didn't immediately suck me in, but once I got a few chapters into the book, the tale really became interesting. I couldn't read fast enough to see what would happen. I had completely forgotten about Y2K and how many people panicked about it, so there was some nostalgia in reading about that event.
Like most books, there were some characters that were likable and some that weren't. The character development was great for the most part, and I enjoyed the internal dialogue of the main character, Steve. I felt like Steve's perceptions of the early to mid twenties crowd compared to his perception of people in their mid-thirties was spot on. These two age groups are in such different places in their lives. I felt like Dennis Cuesta did a great job of characterizing how John and Steve talked in private about women. I've overheard men in passing that discussed women in that same way . . . not to say that all men are like that though.
The length of Many Are Invited was perfect . . . not too long and not too short. It left me wanting more! I loved the references to The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and some of the similarities between the two stories. If you've read both of these books, I think you'll see what I mean, and I don't want to give anything away. The ending of the novel was bittersweet, which is the only thing I didn't care for, but it was concluded in away that didn't leave me hanging.
All in all, I absolutely loved Many Are Invited by Dennis Cuesta and gave it four out of five stars. I can't wait to read the other book Dennis Cuesta has written and hope he writes many more novels. This is a book I will definitely be recommending to the book club I belong to.
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October 20, 2022
Many Are Invited
The first two third of this book I didn’t enjoy but the last third of the book was where this book to some extent redeemed itself. This book wasn’t plot driven but only character driven, mainly focused on Steve. There wasn’t any character in this book that I could say I loved.
This is about a housewarming party held in year 1999 that ending tragically. The time leading to the party was spent fretting over Y2K, the year many of us were dreading but all our fears were wasted as the power didn’t go out, the market didn’t crash and all that was supposed to go wrong didn’t happen. There was also mention of the right to an abortion and reference to Roe and Wade which was recently being reviewed in America. I found that it quite clever to mention it even though the book was set 22 years in the past.
It was quite evident in this book that Steve was harbouring jealousy towards John, his job, the newly brought home, the money he made buying and selling shares and his girlfriend/wife. But then there was a major twist in the story and Steve got an opportunity to cause misunderstanding. I have to say I was not expecting it to end this way it ended, I feel the Marys character should have been explored a bit more.
There were parts of this book that I was uncomfortable with, especially the references made towards women colleagues Steve and John worked. They gave these women nick names like ‘swede 7”, for them these were just office flings until the next best thing walked through the door.
I have never read any of Dennis Cuesta work before I, went in this book blindly. I, found that I couldn’t relate to any of the characters, Marys character I found was shady she was a very bad friend who was unable to keep secrets, and she kept lying but would miraculously get away with it.
I would like to thank Dennis Cuesta, NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press for offering me this EARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The first two third of this book I didn’t enjoy but the last third of the book was where this book to some extent redeemed itself. This book wasn’t plot driven but only character driven, mainly focused on Steve. There wasn’t any character in this book that I could say I loved.
This is about a housewarming party held in year 1999 that ending tragically. The time leading to the party was spent fretting over Y2K, the year many of us were dreading but all our fears were wasted as the power didn’t go out, the market didn’t crash and all that was supposed to go wrong didn’t happen. There was also mention of the right to an abortion and reference to Roe and Wade which was recently being reviewed in America. I found that it quite clever to mention it even though the book was set 22 years in the past.
It was quite evident in this book that Steve was harbouring jealousy towards John, his job, the newly brought home, the money he made buying and selling shares and his girlfriend/wife. But then there was a major twist in the story and Steve got an opportunity to cause misunderstanding. I have to say I was not expecting it to end this way it ended, I feel the Marys character should have been explored a bit more.
There were parts of this book that I was uncomfortable with, especially the references made towards women colleagues Steve and John worked. They gave these women nick names like ‘swede 7”, for them these were just office flings until the next best thing walked through the door.
I have never read any of Dennis Cuesta work before I, went in this book blindly. I, found that I couldn’t relate to any of the characters, Marys character I found was shady she was a very bad friend who was unable to keep secrets, and she kept lying but would miraculously get away with it.
I would like to thank Dennis Cuesta, NetGalley and Celestial Eyes Press for offering me this EARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
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